We've commented before on M&S's upcoming new look, but consider what's been left behind. When Vittorio Radice was lured from Selfridges to Marks and Spencer there were sharp intakes of breath amongst those who have become addicted to Radice's brand-heavy restructuring of the famous Oxford Street store. During his tenure at Selfridges, Radice radically overhauled the department store's image. The original building ('The store simulated a neo-classical temple built in white stone. Selfridges accordingly evoked and legitimated itself with the classical virtues of strength, truth, and reason') now plays host to myriad boutiques and departments, using contemporary architects and designers wherever possible.

Selfridges' maxim was that the 'Customer is always right,' a sentiment that contemporary retailing has mostly seen fit to discard in favour of dazzling through innovation and environment. To this end, Selfridges' expansion includes the new Birmingham store, by Future Systems, bound to become an icon of 21st century retail design. And now comes the news that Toyo Ito (see this previous post) is being touted as the architect for the forthcoming Glasgow store. Will this level of quality be kept up by the new owners reputedly lurking in the wings? And will Radice's M&S homewares brand be up to scratch? Watch this space.

The Glamorlux collections, when pin-ups were proper pin-ups (via crunchland) / Pixelsurgeon has been redesigned - it's that time of year, when everything comes up fresh / Consumptive on advertising Kodak, an extended post on this vast gallery. 'But with this archive, from advertisements over a century old, we can glimpse, imagine, just a little bit of something far more revolutionary than ccds, pixels and inkjets: nothing less than the emergence and necessity of personal, vernacular imaging by everyone, all the time, forever and ever.' / the photography of Toby Morris thrills, especially his narrative-rich Singles collection and Stephen the Great, an impossibly sad piece of photojournalism.

The wonderful world of Roobarb on line, courtesy of this metafilter post. There's even a link to the excellent theme tune, which features one of the most devilish guitar sounds ever committed to tape. I remember once reading which pedal was used to get this sound (one of these? - a Shin-ei/Companion Fuzz Box), but the memory has evaporated.